Good teams win, great teams cover. While the competition for Auburn basketball hasn’t been a gauntlet of nationally feared teams, the results have been exactly what any Tiger fan would want.
Two wins and two spread covers.
Auburn was actually down 39-37 to Louisiana-Monroe at the half on Friday night, stunning the Jungle and the entire Auburn Arena through 20 minutes.
But Bruce Pearl lit a fire under his guys at halftime and the Tigers outscored the Warhawks by 30 points in the final frame.
After the thrilling comeback, Fly War Eagle is here to give you our five takeaways from AU’s 93-65 rout of ULM:
Auburn basketball overreaction #1: Jabari Smith is a star in college basketball
For those a bit underwhelmed by Jabari Smith’s collegiate basketball debut, to borrow from Russell Crowe’s Maximus from Gladiator, were you not entertained last night?
Smith showed a Kevin Durant-esque fluidity in his pull-ups and dribble-moves on Friday night, taking one defensive rebound coast-to-coast and converting it into a sweet finger-roll finish at the other end in the second half.
The highlight exemplified the kind of spectacular half Auburn had in the final 20, where they did the unthinkable time and again and seemingly had the point spread bettors in mind with every possession.
Smith had his best stretch in the first half’s waning moments, however, scoring 10 straight points for the Tigers at one point.
The projected NBA lottery pick finished with 23 points,10 rebounds, four steals, two blocks and four turnovers and shot 7/12 overall, 3/5 from the 3-pointline, and 6/8 from the foul line.
Those are star numbers.
Auburn basketball overreaction #2: Zep Jasper is figuring it out at point guard
After a poor Tigers debut (one point, no assists, two turnovers, 0/5 shooting), Zep Jasper had a strong second outing in orange and blue Friday night.
As a steady hand on the offense, Jasper was able to distribute the ball well, finishing with six assists. His shot is still a work in progress, though he did knock down a pair of shots, with one being from beyond the arc.
It’s taking time for the College of Charleston transfer to get going, but after a six-point, six-assist, zero-turnover performance, things are looking up for the starting 2-guard.
Auburn basketball overreaction #3: Chris Moore is an essential bench piece
Is it possible that Chris Moore’s role could surpass Jaylin Williams’ on the AU second unit? Moore made several key plays that put the Tigers ahead and helped them stay there, finishing with 16 points and four rebounds.
Moore played 21 minutes while Williams played 15. Against Morehead State, Williams played just two more minutes than Moore.
Williams was a starter in 2020-21, but his role is no longer secure with Moore surging in his sophomore season. Even if Williams stays ahead on the depth chart, the impact Moore just had should earn him minutes moving forward. Given his bounce and good hands, he’ll be essential in getting Auburn easy looks at the rim and getting second chance buckets when the offense is struggling.
Auburn basketball overreaction #4: K.D. Johnson is going to be an unpredictable boom-or-bust sixth man
Minute to minute, you never know the kind of impact K.D. Johnson is going to have on a game. But you know he will leave a mark.
Johnson had Bruce Pearl on his case a few times, particularly when the Georgia transfer would complain to the referees, but he likely made the entire coaching staff happy when he would so elegantly step into rhythm and drain 3-pointer after 3-pointer (4/5 from behind the line).
He ended up with four fouls, but Johnson got to the free-throw line eight times, dished out three assists, swiped away two steals, and knocked down four of seven shots on the night.
It was unpredictable, but it was everything the K.D. Johnson experience has proven to be so far on the Plains: not boring.
And we wouldn’t want it any other way.
Auburn basketball overreaction #5: Wendell Green Jr. will finish as the #2 scorer
It’s fair to predict Jabari Smith ending up with the highest point per game average out of any Tiger in 2021-22. When SEC play begins, Smith will likely be asked to shoulder the load, and even before then, he should have a few scoring outbursts like last night.
Wendell Green Jr. may not collect many 30-point games, but the Eastern Kentucky transfer will be one of the most consistent threats night in and night out for this team after following up a 19-point debut with a 15-point performance against Louisiana-Monroe.
He’s the current scoring leader after two games, but FWE predicts he’ll be the #2 scorer by season’s end. And he won’t be behind the leader by much.